"Are you done? How did it go?"

"It's fine. I already spoke to Five. Of course, he was mad at me, there is nothing can I do. I gave him a few bits of information about dungeons. It is not much but it should be enough to act as repayment.

Two men were standing on a balcony, observing the wild untouched nature in front of them. The first one was a rather old man; he clearly did not care much about his appearance. His hair was greasy and messy, his entire body was covered with strange tattoos and piercing. It would be more accurate to describe his clothes as rags, but he nevertheless exuded a powerful aura.

The old man gently tapped the shoulder of the other man in a friendly manner. He was careful to touch his right shoulder. "Noon, let's sit down and have a talk. It's been so long since we've seen each other."

Noon let out a sigh. His appearance has changed considerably since the last fight. He managed to escape at the last second, using the precious resources he gathered during his lifetime but the price he had to pay was steep. He has lost his left arm entirely. His strong well-built body was covered with burn marks; he looked 20 years older than he previously did. Furthermore, this was only on the outside; he suffered countless internal injuries, causing him to lose HP at a regular speed. Even if he could sustain himself by using items, Noon was well aware that his time here would not last for very long.

"Alright. I also have a few things to ask you."

The two sat down, facing each other. Noon poured himself some red wine and without serving his friend, drunk his entire glass.

"Are you really planning to leave just like that? It will be a pity to lose someone as strong as you. Why don't you reconsider my previous proposition? You can become the Totem Spirit of the Cursed Tribe. We are the only tribe left that does not have one."

"No. Duncan, I already told you about it. I am not interested in living for much longer. I used to struggle because I did not want my bloodline to end with me but now that I have a child, I can leave in peace. Although we are friends, I do not want to be at the mercy of your next generations," answered Noon as he quickly filled his glass again.

"I have already transmitted the information I have to the other Sacred Beasts. We lost the previous battle because we did not expect the unique abilities of the Commandments to be so impactful. Now that we know the majority of their trump cards, the incoming battle should be in our favor. I have no regrets. My sacrifice was not in vain. I also delayed his return by a couple of years."

Duncan nodded. He had met Noon a few decades ago and was familiar with his temperament; he did not have high expectations about this proposition. He simply listened to Noon's rants.

"I don't have very long to live. I saved your tribe's heir and brought him back here. Do me a favor and look after Aery. That child is still innocent and carefree. Let him have a peaceful childhood for as long as he can. And do not trick him into serving your tribe. Let him be free. Can you do that for me?" said Noon with a heavy expression. Noon looked calm; he did not care about his pitiful appearance and looked straight at Duncan.

"I promise you. We won't take advantage of Aery. Noon, you saved the Cursed Tribe in the past and we still remember your help. The Cursed Tribe would have long been history if you did not intervene. Although we have lost the majority of our population, the Cursed Tribe is not weak. Aery can stay with us for as long as he wants. I can swear on it on the curses of the tribe."

Noon was relieved, he understood the customs of the Cursed Tribe and knew that they would not harm his child in his absence. "Good. I still cannot believe how the church was unable to find you here. I guess the best place to hide is to be right under their nose. But your heir... You should be careful with him. Take your time and show him the proof. He must have been brainwashed to some extent while staying at the church."

"I know. You don't need to worry about it. As long as we show our sincerity, he will be moved by it. We took a gamble by asking for Gaia to find us an heir. The Cursed Tribe is already prepared to soar to the heavens or to vanish forever."

"Let's not talk about that. We should drink while we can! This way, we can send you off."

"Sure!"

The two old friends emptied three bottles of wine in one go. They did not speak much and simply enjoyed the peaceful environment.

"Duncan, if you do not mind, I would like to spend the last few minutes with Aery."

Duncan nodded. He did not say anything and quietly left the room. A few seconds later, a few light footsteps were heard as a white silhouette jumped into Noon's lap. It was a fluffy baby sheep. Noon directly held Aery to prevent him from running everywhere. Aery was a timid but energetic child; when there were no strangers, Aery would run around Noon until he was completely exhausted.

"Kyuu!"

"Aery... Calm down for a moment, I have something to say."

Confused, the baby sheep looked at his parent and stopped trying to escape Noon's grasp.

"Listen, I am going to have to leave soon for a very long time. You should stay here. Duncan will take care of you. I won't be here to look after you; so you cannot go around causing trouble. Promise me to not leave this place before reaching level 60, okay? Level 60 is the bare minimum to be able to walk around freely," said Noon with a solemn voice.

"Kyu?"

Aery noticed the change in Noon's attitude. He felt that something was wrong but could not figure out exactly what. He felt that Noon was sad and purred while placing his paws on Noon's chest.

"I'll leave behind my core. You can use it to increase your strength significantly but since it's not your own strength, you won't be able to make much progress afterward. Look after it and use it only if necessary. You remember the skill I taught you, right? Keep it in that small space. It will be safe there."

Noon spoke gently. He was not very good at farewells. Noon pressed his remaining hand against Aery, causing it to fall asleep.

"Goodbye Aery. Live well."

He caressed the fluffy wool as he sighed. At the same time, his HP reached 0. His time has come.

Small green particles started to escape from Noon's body and soon, only a pale green sphere was left, floating above Aery. The green sphere coincidentally fell right between Aery's paws as the baby sheep felt its warmth and grabbed it in his sleep.

It was only 5 minutes later that Aery woke up and found the green sphere in front of him. He did not completely understand what happened, but he no longer had the energy to play. He felt a wave of sorrow wash through him. Aery lowered his head and pull the green sphere toward him. He was no longer in a mood to play. Remembering Noon's last words, he held the green sphere in his mouth before heading back to his own room.

...

[System prompt: you have been slain by the Joseph, level -2, applying death penalties]

[System prompt: you have been afflicted by a mysterious technique, your respawn point has been changed]

[System prompt: your body has been treated using the necessary material. The flare of cursed body has been successfully suppressed. Progress to next flare: 10%]

"What is this?" Two opened his eyes, still dizzy from the blinding scene he witnessed. His [Indomitable Will] was on cooldown and even he was unable to survive the powerful attack of the two powerhouses.

"Oh, you are awake. Please be careful."

Two immediately noticed some movements in the corner of his eyes. He instantly went on his guards; according to the system prompt, his respawn location had been forcefully changed. He did not know if the people there were allies or enemies.

A young woman rushed to his side. She had a fairly average appearance, but the right half of her face was completely covered with tattoos, giving her a mystical aura. Above her head, a faint: [Morgan, level: ???] was displayed.

Morgan grabbed Two's arms and help him sit up. "Are you feeling alright? Are there any discomfort?"

"I am fine. Who are you? Where am I?" asked Two. He did not trust Morgan at all. He briefly looked around him and did not recognize this place. The room was stuffy as it did not have windows. A strong smell of mold and medicinal plants lingered around the room. Two's first impression was that he was in an underground alchemical laboratory.

'The flare has been cured but it is already 10% in the next one. How long has passed since my death this time?' thought Two

The tattooed woman gently smiled, "My name is Morgan. The elder said that you will be fine as soon as you wake up. Come with me. I am sure you have a lot of questions." She pulled Two toward the exit who did not display any form of resistance. He was eager to find out where he was; for that, there was only one way to find out.

Morgan guided Two through a series of long corridors. "We are definitely underground. The lighting is all artificial and there is basically no air flow," said Two to himself.

"Oh, Aery. I am sorry. I cannot play with you right now. I have to meet the elder. I will come and see you later tonight, alright?"

"Kyuuu"

Along the way, Two did not see a single living soul. It was only when he was close to his final destination that he saw a cute white sheep roaming around the corridors with a lonely expression. Morgan immediately crouched next to it and patted its fluffy wool.

Two observed the little pet with some interest. The sheep was definitely not ordinary. Despite being just a baby, he was already level 21! But what really attracted Two's attention, was the glowing green sphere in Aery's mouth.

[Sacred Beast Core]

Rarity: Unique

Effect 1: Can be used to immediately upgrade a dungeon core and unlock 10 monsters related to the bloodline of the Aries.

Effect 2: Can be combined with two other Sacred Beast Cores to obtain the dungeon master class and to found a dungeon.

Description: The core belonging to a Sacred Beast. It is a highly coveted item that many monsters would kill for. It can be used directly but is also an excellent material that can be used to craft unique items.

"Dungeon? An item related to the devils," said Two to himself.

"We have arrived," said Morgan. She opened led Two inside a small office where an old man was patiently waiting for him.

"Good morning Two. I hope that it was not inconvenient for us to bring you here," said Duncan.

"Who are you and why did you force me to respawn here?"

"It is useless to speak like that. No matter what we say, you will never believe us. Have a look at these items first, then we will speak." Duncan did not waste any time and took out a few herbs and monster parts.

Two immediately saw the description of the items. His eyes shone as he suspiciously looked at Duncan. "What are those? Did you spy on me?" Those items were precisely the ones he had been fervently looking for.

"Just use them to upgrade your Cursed Body to Grade 2 first. Once you do so, you will unlock the Curse of Truth. It is only then that you will start to believe what I say."

"My Cursed Body? How did you know about it? I never told anyone about it."

"We are just a small group of people that are trying to free themselves from the shackles of fate. Many people forgot our name but in the past, we used to be called the Cursed Tribe; we obviously know about the Cursed Body. In fact, we are the one who asked Gaia to give it to someone."

...

Black Iron Tribe

The atmosphere was heavy in the chief's tent. Achi was having a hard time negotiating with the guests. Behind him, the Shaman and a granny were quietly observing the situation; they were supposed to help him make this important decision, but they did not speak a word since the beginning of the meeting.

The chiefs of the two nearest tribes, the Scarlet Crow Tribe and the Forest Fox Tribe, have come to discuss important matters with the Black Iron Tribe. It was no secret that the Black Iron Tribe had direct access to a dungeon. All the tribes were well aware of the value of such a resourceful place; they could not allow a single tribe to monopolize it. They wanted their share of the cake.

Since the warriors returned a few days ago, Achi had been constantly mediating with the other tribes. While the Scarlet Crow Tribe and the Forest Fox Tribe were on friendly terms with their tribe, there were other tribes that were quite jealous and had bad intentions.

After a brief moment of silence, the Shaman finally decided to speak.

"I have listened to all your requests. It is impossible for us to allow your tribes to migrate here. The ancestors' decree stated that the tribes shall remain on their own territories to guard them. Other tribes are not allowed to settle their camps on our territory."

"However, I do have a proposition. I suggest merging our three tribes into a single one. We will guard this area together and help each other. What do you think?" said the Shaman while observing the guests' reactions.

As he expected, the guests were not happy to hear this proposition. "Impossible. Do you want us to leave behind the land of our ancestors? We just want to get access to the dungeon, why do we need to merge together? My village is only half a day of walk away from the dungeon. We do not need to relocate," said the Forest Fox Tribe Leader. He crossed his hairy arms and turned toward the Scarlet Crow Tribe leader.

The latter did not immediately voice out his opinion. He carefully considered his options. His position was different from the Forest Fox Tribe. The Scarlet Crow Tribe was considered one of the weakest tribes among the barbarians. Their territory was small and did not have many resources. He was naturally unwilling to leave behind the land of his ancestors but joining the Black Iron Tribe might very well be the only way he could improve the living conditions of his tribesmen.

"Let me hear the full proposition first. What will be the terms?"

"Simple. The three tribes will merge together, giving us the strength close to that of large tribes. The new tribe will be ruled by a council made up of 9 people. It will change over time as we merge but I will suggest 3 people from each tribe as a start. All the tribesmen will be treated equally. Together, we can share our expertise and become stronger."

The Forest Fox Tribe leader grunted. "What will happen if we refuse? You know the Black Bear Tribe and the Vulture Tribe are also aiming for your dungeon. As a single small tribe, you are bound to have heavy casualties if you fight alone."

The Shaman smiled. It was indeed one of the reasons he wanted the other tribes to join them. He needed to be strong enough to protect his own resources. "I believe the Black Iron Tribe will be able to survive alone or else, how do you think we managed to obtain so many resources from the dungeon unscathed?"

"Are you trying to suggest something? Are there things that we do not know about?" Both tribe leaders became thoughtful; they could tell that the Shaman was hinting at something. The Black Iron Tribe had been hiding so many things behind their back. There might have been so secret deals taking place without anyone knowing; if they agreed to merge the tribes, wouldn't they be able to benefit from whatever secrets there was too? They believed they could stand on the side-line and observe the situation but if they did not seize the opportunity in front of them, they might return empty-handed.

"I cannot tell you more about it but trust me. After all, as you have seen, we dare use the dungeon as the training grounds for the youngsters. Please go and discuss with your elders first. I know this is not a decision you can make alone. We shall meet again tomorrow."

When he saw the other tribe leader return to the guest tents where their respective elders were waiting for them, Achi let out a sigh of relief. He felt the heavy load lifted off his shoulders. "Father, are you certain you want to merge our tribes?"

For the first time, the old granny spoke, "Achi, our tribe is different from the others. If we decided to shift our focus from hunting to crafting and trades, do you think we would not do something as trivial as this? This is something inevitable. To grow our tribe, we will need to merge with others. Unless you are willing to wait for several generations to increase our population, it is the only way to move from being a small irrelevant tribe."

"Granny is right. We are taking some risks, but the Scarlet Crow Tribe and the Forest Fox Tribe are not stupid. They know what will benefit them the most. Besides, I truly wish for all of us to work together. We have always been allies. I do not see why we cannot work together. The dungeon is a huge gold mine. It is too much for us to take alone but if we allow the large tribes to intervene, we will end up with nothing. It is the best solution for all of us," added the Shaman.

Achi was not used to seeing some many changes occurring in the village. He had a rather conservative mindset but would always listen to the pieces of advice of the Shaman. "May I ask what you have planned exactly?"

"It depends on whether or not the tribes agree to merge with us. For now, I am thinking that it is time for me to meet Five once again. The dungeon has been quiet for a while. Angela did not behave any differently even if you told me that Five has been killed near the Tolden Encampment. Either they are hiding it very well or Five really has the ability to revive."

"In any case, I will ask Angela to arrange a meeting for me. If Five is truly dead, then I do not see why we cannot take the dungeon for ourselves and become its true owner. If Five is still alive, then I will properly apologize and make a few gifts. I should also seek a few more benefits since we will be sending a lot more people soon. Even if the tribes refuse to merge, winter is almost there. The hunters' catch is becoming worse and worse. It will be more useful to send them to the dungeon instead."